Page 34 of Captain's Companion

“Don’t you want to get out,” he asked.

“Tomorrow we can go for a walk after dinner,” she said. “Tonight, I want you naked in bed for hours.”

“I like your plan,” he said. “Show me your work?”

“Later,” she said. “You have to move furniture.”

“Yeah. Okay,” he said remembering how his mother moved furniture around and around until it drove his father crazy.

“I promise it’s not much,” she said. Going up on tiptoe, she brushed her lips against his. “If you do it quick, we’d have time to kiss a bit before they got here.”

He started to follow her but stopped as he realized he forgot his shoes. Sliding them on, he stepped through to his lounge. She stood in the middle of the room looking at the furniture. While still on the station, he ordered pillows she liked for the room and he noticed a beaded hanging. “Did you make this,” he asked pointing to it.

“Yes,” she said softly, tensing as she waited for his reaction.

“It looks like a waterfall,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

“You don’t mind,” she asked.

“It makes this wall stand out,” he said. “It draws my eyes as soon as I step in. Did you put it up today?”

“Yes, I finished it this afternoon,” she said.

“Thank you,” he said. “It brightens the room. When did you start it?”

“I drew it out your first shift working,” she said. “I tweaked a few of the colors but I started it the same day.”

“You made this in a week,” he said. “We didn’t buy you enough beads. Will you make more?”

“You want more of my stuff up,” she asked.

“We have more walls,” he said turning to her and wrapping his arms around her. “You should make them all as beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she said blushing a little.

“What do you want shifted,” he asked nibbling on her neck.

Taking a deep breath in, she inhaled him. “Why did you invite people,” she asked.

“Socializing is supposed to be important,” he murmured.

Stepping out of his arms, she said, “You stop touching me. Every time you touch me all I want is you naked. We are socializing. It will be nice to meet one of your commander’s mate and get to know them.”

“Yeah. All right,” he said though he hated her standing so far away. “What needs shifting?”

“If you move the two chairs with the table under the hanging, and the sofa where they are, it will look more inviting,” she said. “I was going to do it but…”

“You shouldn’t lift heavy things,” he said.

“Why not,” she demanded. “I’m perfectly capable. I thought we should talk about it before it was done.”

“Because you’re my mate,” he asked.

“Because we share this space,” she said not admitting to being his mate yet.

“Placement doesn’t matter,” he said. “I don’t spend a lot of time in here.”

“But it could be such a lovely room,” she said. She walked over to the sofa and motioned him to the other end.

---